Advertising device



April 24, 1928.

K. O. LEON ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed Feb.4. 1925 3 SheetsSheet 1 April 24, 1928. 1,667,210

K. o. LEON 4 ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed Feb. 4 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 m Fig-4, Win g2,

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April 24, 1928. 1,667,210 K. o. LEON ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed Feb. 4 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 24, 1928.

UNITED STATES KARL OSCAR LEON, OF LIDKOPING, SWEDEN.

ADVERTISING DEVICE.

Application filed February 4, 1525, Serial No.

This invention relates to advertising dcviees of the kind in which the various an nouneements or pictures to be displayed are intermittently changing and in which means are provided for also showing the time.

A chief object of my invention is to produee an in' proved device of this kind in which the displaying of the announcements does not interfere with the showing of the time. I

lVith this and other objects in view the invention consists, chiefly, in an advertising device comprising a casing, an intermittently moving carrier divided into sections hearing advertising matters, a eloek unit, and means for projecting alternately images of said advertising matters and the time indi eating parts of the clock.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of the upper part of a grandfather clock showing the advertising apparatus mounted therein,

F ig. 2 is a front elevation on an enlarged scale of the upper part of the moving band, the clock and the actuating mechanism, partly in section,

Fig. 3 is a face view of a cam and means for swinging the clock,

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of a reflecting system in which the clock is stationary,

Fig. 5 is a similar view in which the clock is stationary but the objective system is movable,

Figs. 6 and 7 are similar views of the systems of reflecting or projecting,

Figs. 8 and 9 are front and side elevations respectively of one of the links of the moving band,

Fig. 10 is a plan view of a detail of the clock mechanism, and

Fig. 11 shows a detail in connection with the guiding of the moving band.

In carrying the invention into effect, the mechanism is mounted in a. convenientcasing a, such asthat known as a grandfather clock-,- and its face is replaced by: a screen 7) of suitable material such as translucent glass or the like.

H W'ithin the casing there is arranged a travelling band 0 of film pictures comprising the various advertisements required to be shown or such band may take the form' of a rotatable disc. The band 0 is preferably in 6,878, and in Great Britain February 8, 1924.

the form of a number of linked open frames. each adapted to receive a single transparent film or sheet (Z, and at suitable intervals one of the frames is left empty so that there is a clear opening or if a. transparent iilm is used then it is left blank. The band 0 is preferably endless and passes over suitable polygonal or other pulleys, such as e and f of which 6 is hexagonal and f is square.

The hexagon roller is mounted on a shaft g-which at one end is driven intermittently by a Geneva stop or other suitable gearing. For this purpose the shaft carries a radially slotted wheel it, and each slot is designed to successively engage with a pin is carried at the edge of a wheel Z on a shaft m. and adapted to be driven by means of a sprocket wheel '12, and chain 0 from a convenient source of power, such as an electric or other motor not shown. If for example, the wheel Z is driven at a speed of one revolution per seconds, each picture will be shown for six seconds, during which period the pin it is making one turn, the periphery of wheel Z closely fitting the curved part between two slots of the wheel it. The pin in finishing its travel passes into the next slot ready to receive it and turns wheel /r for a predetermined distance so as to bring the next section of the band into position, after which there will be a dwell period and so on.

The other end of the shaft remote from the intermittent drive is titted with a cam 21 provided in this case with two steps that are designed to act upon a vertical tappet 1* guided by a bracket 8 that may be secured as shown to the bearing that supports the shaft g. The lower end of the plunger is employed to so actuate the clock unit t that the time may be shown.

For this purpose the clock unit If comprises a suitable form of clock having a cylindrical casing, supported by trunnions 21. in bearings v formed at the ends of a forked bracket 20 rigidly supported by the arm as. The frontside of the clock casing 2i carries a pair of extended concentric sleeves 3 enclosed in a sheath 11, which projects centrally and forwardly of the clock easing 6 approximately as far as the vertical centre line of the endless band a. At this end the concentric sleeves 3 and 2 that correspond to the hour and minute hands respectively, are fitted with bevel wheels 12 and 13 which engage with a similar pair of bevel wheels l i and 15 on the ends of extensions of the con centric sleeves that lead or extend towards the side of the endless band which is in operation, and such extensions at their ends are fitted with the respective hour and minute hands. To carry this right-angled extension a convenient bracket 16, Fig. 10, may be employed. To indicate the time in relation to the hour and minute hands, the bracket 16 is adapted to carry, by means of an arm 17, a light ring or frame 18 upon which is engraved or marked in some suitable way the hour numerals. It is to be un derstood that the sheath 11, employed as a protective outer casing for the concentricsleeves 3 2, may be omitted if desired, and instead of using the separate frame 18, the corresponding section of the moving band may carry a film having a circular opening around which the clock numerals are marked.

The trunnions u of the clock casing are so arranged relatively to the centre of gravity that there will be a constant tendency for the clock casing to swing upwards by gravity with the sleeves in a horizontal position, and the axis of such position will coincide with the centre of one of the sections of the endless band, through which is directed a beam of light as will be explained. The lower part of the bracket 8 forms a rigid stop for the upper position of the clock casing so that the hands will remain steady while showing.

The action of the cam 12 is so arranged that when one of the steps q passes by the aXis of the tappet r, the tappet will be pressed upwards behind the step by gravity action from the clock casing! to bring the time indicating parts of the clock into operative position, that is to say, the beam of light will illuminate the hands and the ring 18, so as to reflect them in a manner to be described. .Vhen, by the rotation of the cam the plunger is pressed outwards when it reaches the smooth circular periphery of the cam, the clock casing will be swung downwards against gravity, whereby the time indicating parts are brought out of the path of the beam of light, so that they will be no longer illuminated. They will remain in this position for preferably a period during which two advertisements are being shown successively by the intermittent rotation of the driving mechanism, each advertisement lasting for a period of say six seconds. When these two have been shown the next step 9 of the cam comes into action to allow the clock casing to rise. so that its time indicating parts may be again. illuminated. It is to be observed that the time indicating parts (the hands and the ring 18) are in a plane which is difierent from that where the sleeves and .2 extend from the clock casing, and'that the right angled extension of such sleeves will lie in the axis of the beam of light. By such an arrangement when the time indicating parts are in operative position, only the hands and clock ring 18 will be reflected, and the other parts being out of focus will not appear in the reflection. It'is important in this connection to make the right angled extension of the sleeves as long as possible in order to prevent any diffused shadows being reflected.

The above described movement of the clock and the hands into the line of illumination, brings the hands and ring 18 into approximate focus only, andin order how ever, that the clock hands and ring may be truly focussed, an additional fine adjustment is provided whereby the hands and the ring willbe made to move" into the exact plane of the moving band, and for this purpose the bearings v are formed with oblique slots 19, with which engage pins20 that are carried upon the trunnions 10. By such au arrangement when the clock casing is al lowed to swing upwards, the whole of the clock casing 25 will be given a slight lateral movement that the hands will be brought exactly into the plane of the moving band and will, therefore, be in correct focus.

Any desired system of illuminating the section of the moving band may be used, either natural or artificial, and may comprise as the source of light an electric light at 21, rays from which are condensed at to pass through the particular section of the band which to be in operation, thence through an objective 23 and collected upon a mirror 2-1 which is arranged approximately at about 45. From thence the rays of light are directed upwards towards a mirror 25 which should also be arranged at about 45 and allows of enlarging the image, and thence the reflection pa :cs out through atrans parent or translucent sheet 26 in the front or the casing, so that such reflection may be seen in what would be the normal opening of a grandfather clock. Any convenient means may be used to prevent part reflections being shown from two sections of the band at the change over and this may comprise a temporary extinction of the source ot light or a mask, so that. only a complete reflection will be seen at one time.

The above description is only one example of many forms ot'nrranging for the projec tion of the various advertising,pictures that may he used, and in Fig. 4 a system illustrated in which theelock unit t is stat onary and'the light 21, after passing through the endless band 1?, normally reflects the adven tisement matter through an objective 23 on to a mirror 24. and from thence to where ever the reflection is desired. lVhen, however, it is necessary to show the time, there is interposed in the path of the rays of light another mirror 27 which is so arranged that lll) liitl it may, by means of a pivotal movement something similar to that of the movement of the clock, be swung into, or withdrawn from, the path of the rays of light. lVhen it is brought into the rays of light the mirror, by means of another mirror fixed to the extended sleeves or any other part of the clock unit, show a reflection of the hour and minute hands upon such mirror 27, whereby the reflection of the time is then passed through the objective and on to mirror 2st to be projected where desired.

It is to be observed that the mirror 28 will be illuminated by the same source of light 21.

Referring to Fig. 5 the clock unit if is constructed similarly to that described in connection with Fig. l, but is arranged obliquely-to the normal axis of the light rays; \Vhen the picture band is to be illuminated from the source of light 21 itis received in an objective 23, arranged in a casing 29, and which may be oscillated or rocked on an axis 30. Such objective includes the mirror 24 shown in plan view in the figure. lVhen the picture band is in operation to show an advertisement, the axis of the objective casing 29 is in alignment with the illuminating system, and the picture is assumed as being projected upwardly to whereever it is desired. \Vhen, however, it is desired to show the time, the objective system 29 is swung about its pivot 30 into line with the axis of the clock unit if. The mirror 28 being illuminated by the same source of light is passed into the objective and projected out as desired. Any suitable means may be used for adjusting the objective in Fig. 5 or the mirror in Fig. 4:, and may be partly automatic and partly mechanical or otherwise as found convenient, suitable stops being employed to limit the movements.

In all of the modifications above described it is assumed that the endless moving band moves through a vertical plane.

Referring to Fig. 6 an example is shown in which the moving band is horizontally arranged upon the two hexagonal or other angular rollers e, e. The rays from the source of light 21 condensed at 22 are passed through the endless band 0 when advert-ise ments are being shown, and are reflected in the mirror 24, from whence the image is directed upwards as desired. hen, however, the time is to be shown, those particular sections of the band carry an obliquely arranged mirror 32, which is in a position to receive the reflection of the hour hands through a mirror 28 on the clock unit I, which is in this case fixed, and such mirror 28 is illuminated by the same source of light 21. Thus, when the time is to be shown, the mirror 32 is brought into the line of the rays of light and then reflected into the mirror 2 1 and projected where desired.

Referring to Fig. 7, the ordinary source of light is arranged to reflect an advertisement into the mirror 35, such mirror in this case being mounted upon a central pivot 36,

and assuming that the mirror has been turned into the dotted line position, the image will be directed through the objective 23 and away. rVhen, however, it is desired to show the time the source of light 37 by illuminating the fixed mirror 28 on the clock unit t directs an image of the'hands uponthe mirror 35 that has now been swung over into full line position, whereby the image is reflected out where desired.

Referring to Figs. 8 and 9 in order that the film of one of the sections of the mow ing band may be adequately supported and kept in position, the section of the band comprises a metal frame 38 formed with a central opening 39 and side cheeks 10. The upper part of such side cheeks are formed into ears to carry a hinge pin 41 that is de signed to engage with hinges 42 upon the adjacent section. As each film is a separate entity they are designed to be slipped under flanges 4S and positioned between slight upstanding ridges M at each side of the central opening 39.

In order that the reflection may be steady the part of the band immediately adjacent the section that is being shown is led through a slotted guide way 15 shown in dotted lines Fig. 1. If desired the part of the guides where the section is being shown,

may as indicated in Fig. 12 be made slightly oblique, so that the section may rest thereupon and be perfectly steadied.

Itis to be understood that the construc tive details of the apparatus may be varied to suit either the matter to be shown, or where it is to be shown, and any suitable devices may be used to reflect that which is desired, and that any lenses, mirrors, condensers and the like that are to be used may be relatively arranged as desired or at any angle but that it is preferable for the 1nirrors to be arranged at 15 or approximately so, in order that the final reflection will be undistorted. Moreover in place of gravity to bring the clock into operative position a spring may be used, which may also be adapted to accurately focus the parts. 1f necessary an audible signal may be given at each chang. or after a number of changes the usual musical chime of a clock may be used, and if desired, the window in the clockface may bear a ring of time numerals in place of those provided elsewhere.

Finally, it is to be understood that any suitable casings may be used to enclose the light reflections that pass from mirror to mirror, the condensing as may be requisite.

hat I claim is: 1. An advertising device, comprising a lens or the objectives casing, an intermittently moving carrier divided into sections some ofwhich bear advertising matters and other of which are left blank, means for projecting an image of each section of the carrier in turn, a clock unit the time indicating parts of which are normally in an inoperative position in relation to the projecting means, and means for effecting the projection of an image of said time indicating parts only when a blank: section of-the carrier is in projecting position in relation to the projecting means.

2. An advertising device, comprising a casing, an intermittently moving carrier divided into sections some of which bear advertising matters and other of which are left blank, a pivotally suspended clock unit having extended concentric shafts bearing the minute and hour hands, means for illuminating each section of the carrier in turn, andvmeans for swinging the clock so as to bring the hands thereof into the beam of light from said illuminating means simultaneously with the illumination of the blank sections of the carrier.

3.1m an advertising device, comprising means, for projecting alternately images of advertising matters and of a clock face, a pivotally suspended clock unit having extended concentric shafts bearing the minute and hour hands, and a rotarycam disc for moving-the clock unit into inoperative position against gravity when the advertising matter is to be projected. I

4:. An advertising device, comprising a casing, an intermittently moving carrier divided into sections bearing advertising matters, a pivotally suspended clock unit having extended concentric shafts bearing the minute and hour hands, means for projecting alternately images of said advertising matters and the hands of the clock, and means foradjusting the hands into the plane of the carrier when the time is to be shown.

5. An ad vertisingdevice, comprising a casing, a carrier divided into sections some of which bear advertising matters and others of which are left blank, a pivotally journalled clock unit having extended con centric shafts bearing the minute and hour hands, an intermittently driven shaft, a polygonal-roller on said shaft for driving the carrier, said shaftbeing also adapted to control the position of the clock unit in such manncrthat the hands thereof are in showing position simultaneously with the blank sections of the carrier, and out of showing position when the sections of the carrier bearing advertising matters are in showing position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name.

KARL OSCAR LEONr 

